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Dog Abuser Rejects Plea Deal

On April 15, after reconfirming her not guilty plea to animal torture charges, Tiara Davis rejected a 60-day jail deal offered by the District Attorney. In a heavily publicized case, Davis was caught on video violently kicking and leash-choking her nine-pound Pomeranian, Sparky. The incident occurred on January 11 in the Grant Houses in Morningside Heights, the same public housing project where surveillance video captured an unrelated dog beating only two weeks prior the incident.

It was approximately 2:00 A.M. on January 11, when the NYPD's in-elevator surveillance system captured Davis beating the four-year-old dog. The 31-year-old apparently lost her temper after Sparky urinated on the elevator floor. The video clearly shows Davis punching, kicking and swinging the small dog by his neck until he blacked out. Sparky suffered multiple bruises, possible liver damage and emaciation. He is currently recuperating at the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Hospital.

"There was no justification for this violent act of cruelty," says Stacy Wolf, Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel for the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department "I think the plea deal is generous and should be reconsidered by the defendant, I am not sure a jury would be as lenient."

Davis, who was arrested by ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents the same morning the beating occurred, is due back in court on May 12, where the possibility of trial awaits her.

If you know of an animal whose health is being compromised by neglect or abuse, please report it. Visit our Report Cruelty FAQ to learn how to report cruelty in your neighborhood.